Village Science and the Luang Prabang Library

Justin used to be a satellite engineer, but he reached a stage in life where he wanted to shift directions. He’d quit his job and was travelling through Southeast Asia when he found himself stuck in Northern Laos. There, he found a new mission. Having seen the poor state of science education in the area, he started an NGO called Village Science that could share the wonder and awe of science with local students.
Village Science focuses on delivering educational resources to remote locations. Frequently partnering with the Luang Prabang Library, the two organizations deliver materials upriver to communities far beyond the reach of government roads. Once I heard about this mission, I knew I had to see it for myself.
Using the library's Library Boat for Lao Children, we motored upstream to a remote village a few hours above the famous Pak Ou caves. Village Science and library staff delivered new books to the school, and handed out copies of a library-produced children’s book about hygiene that came packaged with a bar of soap. Justin and a librarian named Sao Deng then led a lesson about good health and the importance of hygiene, and finished with a reading workshop for older students.
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